not ready to make nice.

A week has passed since my grandpa's death, and though it hasn't gotten any easier, life goes on. I went on my important interview. I got really into all my favorite shows. I started another part-time gig at my uncle's company. I met up with Stella and Adam over the weekend. I taught Sunday school. The world moves on, and I'm marching on too.

So. I half watched the Grammys on Sunday, and the Dixie Chicks cleaned the house out, winning like all the important awards. Good for them. I'm not a country music fan, but I kind of like them. I totally dig their we're-going-to-say-what- we-want-so-whatever-to-all-you-naysayers attitude, plus their version of Fleetwood Mac's Landslide is so so good. I really wanted to see Shut Up and Sing, a documentary about the fallout of their anti-Bush comment a couple of years ago, but since it wasn't playing anywhere around me, I will just have to netflix it when it's released on DVD.

The degree of hatred the Dixie Chicks received because of their political views was frightening if only because it undermined the idea of freedom of speech in this country. The whole boycott/death threats against the group regarding the incident was ridiculous, and it just highlighted the very worst of our country (kinda like what Borat did) and the worst in the American people, albeit a very selective group. All those people who boycotted the band and threw CD burning bonfires or whatever, did it all in the name of patriotism- basically, "The Dixie Chicks said something unpatriotic about Bush, we're going to show just how patriotic we are by publicly hating on them." The very essence of patriotism is wholeheartedly believing in the things America stands for, and our right to speak what we want is a huge part that. So yeah, you've really proven just how patriotic you are by denying someone their right to free speech. Ok, so I do understand why people were upset when it all happened and I see the flip side, because if I felt strongly about Bush and his administration and going to war, I might have taken offense at what Natalie Maines said. But a simple comment was that- a simple comment. She apologized (which she later retracted), the band clarified their stance on everything from Iraq to Bush to their love for this country, and yet people were so unforgiving. So yeah, there is a part of me that is very happy every time the Dixie Chicks sell millions of albums and win all these awards. You go girls.

current music: Lily Allen - Alright, Still album. A lot of female artists have caught my eyes (or rather, my ears) lately- Regina Spektor, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen. I haven't heard the albums from the other two, but I recently bought Alright, Still off the strength of the first single, Smile, and I LOVE it. She's like a British Gwen Stefani, sans the heavy 80s overtones. Her lyrics are cheeky, her beats are quirky, and she oozes cool. What is not to like? My favorite songs so far are Smile, Take What You Take, and Alfie.